Lost a child in a museum

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Jul 01 2018, 8:25 pm

Hi everyone!

The reason why I’m writing here is because I hope it will help me calm down. Its been over 12 hours since it has happened and I’m still not over it. Im still getting chills and feal the same fear.

Yesterday me and my three little boys, ages five, two and a half, and seven months old baby were outside visiting a museum. Now where we live, there’s a block with few museums and inside there’s a large courtyardish space with many restaurants and different attractions. Its usually very packed with tourists and parents with small children because the place offers a variety of activities for kids.

I’m the type of mom when I’m outside with my kids I keep an eye on then all the time and even when I’m sitting and talking to another mom I’m still watching them play. Like every mom. I can’t just sit and relax in a park like before having kids. Even in shul when I see other kids running around without adult supervision, I always wonder how come their parents are not afraid not to loose their children? I’m always close to mine and I never leave them out of my sight. I just can’t relax. But recently I started trusting my eldest son (5yo) who als keeps an eye on his brother (2yo) and they play wonderfully together in a park. And I let them play in the shul. I still check on them every two minutes. Im taking baby steps.

Yesterday we went to a museum. When we went outside the museum, both of my kids who were riding their own scooters started speeding up. I started telling then to slow down. The little one stopped, and while I was telling him not to drive so fast, I’ve lost a sight over the 5yo. He was nowhere to be seen. At first I started calling out his name louder and louder. I wasn’t sure which direction he went since there were two different directions inside the giant courtyard with so many people and children and restaurants. I put my 2yo in the double stroller with the baby and started running towards the first exit. He wasn’t there. Then I went back. He wasnt there. And that’s when I felt the biggest fear in my life, the one that I might never see him again. Tousand toughts went trough my mind and I felt like Im gonna loos my mind. Despite of wanting to faint and praying to Hashem to have mercy on me, I said to myself, I must stay focused and quickly start looking for solutions. My solutions were Look for an employee, call a nearby friend, security, people from the community, jewish security...
First I went back to the same place where I’ve last seen him and started thinking if I should go the second direction or stay there and wait. I started telling my self stay focused and think.
and thats when I saw him, on his scooter driving relaxed toward me as if nothing has happened with a smile on his face looking left and right and singing a song.

You can’t imagine the feeling I had. Only someone who has experienced similar can relate.

I told him never to to that again and how I felt and what could have happened and he promised never to drive so fast and that he will always drive next to me. When I’ve asked him why he left and wasn’t he afraid, he responded “I started driving my scooter and I thought you were behind me, and when I saw you weren’t there I drove back and then I’ve recognized you” and he said it with a smile on his face.

soap suds

Sun, Jul 01 2018, 8:50 pm

B"H your son is safe.

It's heart stopping moments like these that make us appreciate what we tend to take for granted every day.

Don't let the thoughts of 'what could've happened' take over. Easy to say, I know. Seems like you taught your son well, that he knew to keep checking where you are and be aware of where he's going. Some 5 yr olds would just go their own way and not bother checking whether they're still near you. Even my 7 yr old tends to get distracted and would take him a good while before he noticed that he's lost.

amother

Bisque

Sun, Jul 01 2018, 9:09 pm

Reminds me of the time I was using the NYC subway and I stepped into the train and ds was a second delayed and the door closed between me and him. Through the glass window I said, "wait for me I'm coming back to get you". I don't know if he heard me above the noise.. I got off at the next stop and sat and waited, thinking maybe ds got onto the next train. When he didn't show, I got onto the next train and went back to the station where we parted ways. NYC stations are extremely crowded. I didn't see him. I was thinking to call upon the assistance of police , but was afraid that would cause more harm than good..
I walked up and down the crowded platform and finally found ds. We cried in each other's embrace for a long time.

One of the scariest moments of my life.

ValleyMom

Sun, Jul 01 2018, 10:03 pm

OMIGOD that subway story is literally a revealed miracle.

soap suds

Sun, Jul 01 2018, 10:05 pm

My biggest fear when traveling on the subway with my kids!

racheli:)

Sun, Jul 01 2018, 11:53 pm

OMG the subway story! B”H you’ve found him! I told my husband that when we will travel in summer I’m putting my kids on one of those leashes for children they sell Smile

Ruchel

Mon, Jul 02 2018, 12:46 am

My child ran away at the horse race. It was horrible. I put security on the case, BH she was found, but... HORRIBLE. Needless to say I stopped judging leashes!

33055

Mon, Jul 02 2018, 2:16 am

racheli:) wrote:

OMG the subway story! B”H you’ve found him! I told my husband that when we will travel in summer I’m putting my kids on one of those leashes for children they sell Smile

That kid would have been dragged while the train was moving if he was on a leash.